KNOCKAERT EAGER TO LEARN FROM THE BEST

16 December 2017

Kieran Cleeves Anthony Knockaert at Wembley Stadium.

Kieran Cleeves

Brighton & Hove Albion winger Anthony Knockaert stressed the importance of learning from some of the star-studded teams visiting the Amex this season, as the Frenchman goes face-to-face with some of the world’s best footballers.

The Seagulls welcome Burnley to the south coast this afternoon, and Knockaert used Liverpool’s visit to the Amex two weeks ago as an example of the quality that comes with playing in the Premier League.

He said, “It’s always nice to play against the best players in the world and you obviously learn from that. It’s an inspiration to see players like this.

“[Phillipe] Coutinho is a world-class player and he did very well against us. It’s always important to watch players like him and be inspired by what they do.

“They’re really sharp and play with a big intensity - when we played Liverpool they pressed us really high. You have to try and learn what they do.”

Chris Hughton’s team will be looking to record a positive result after losing three consecutive matches in the Premier League, and Knockaert accepts the team have had to change their playing style from last season.

“It’s a lot different, the players are cleverer and there’s a higher intensity. It’s a great experience for me, to play at this level.

“It’s not easy for us at the moment. We’ve had a bad period, but we started well and showed that we have enough quality.

“We’re playing against better teams and we want to get results. If we try to play the same way we played last season, then we’d lose a lot of games.

“I haven't had as many chances as I had last season, obviously because we were more offensive last year. This year we cannot afford to do that.

“Personally, it’s important to help my team-mates do their jobs as well. I couldn’t dream of a better job in my life, to play in the Premier League.”

The Clarets arrive at the Amex after back-to-back 1-0 victories, which has lifted them to sixth position in the Premier League, and Knockaert praised Sean Dyche’s team for their early-season achievements.

“They’re a really strong team that fight very hard in every game. You can see they’re really tough to beat, they’ve got a good manager who’s known his players for a long time.

“If you look at their starting line-up, it’s almost been the same for the last four years. They’ve got to know each other better and better, they perform together and they’re doing really well.

“Fair play to them, they’re doing a really good job in the Premier League this season. The game on Saturday will be really important for us.”